Nursing home members in Western New York have won contracts for 25 facilities as part of a four-year strategy of coordinated bargaining to improve benefits and wages at facilities in four WNY counties.

Members at Schoellkopf Health Center won the first contract settlement of the campaign—a landmark agreement including average wage increases of up to 28 percent over three years—that set a standard for the remaining facilities to drive at the bargaining table.

Member leaders set out to negotiate contracts that would raise wages and improve conditions for nursing home workers all across Western New York. Their goal was to leverage collective power to achieve a standard set of wages and benefits that would help recruit and retain workers to provide care for some of the most vulnerable residents in their local communities.

More than 3,600 nursing home workers participated in the historic campaign that began with 27 different long-term care facilities in Erie, Niagara, Allegany, and Cattaraugus Counties. Of the 27 facilities, 24 were for-profit with common owners at 15 facilities including: RCA Group, Centers Healthcare, Elderwood Group, McGuire Group, Personal Healthcare, and the Sherman Family.

Members made the public aware of their contract fight by participating in informational pickets at 22 different facilities. At every informational picket, members were united and ready, drawing particular attention to staffing levels—a top priority for bargaining. During an informational picket at Newfane Rehabilitation & Nursing in rural Niagara county, workers held signs saying: “2 Aides for 52 residents,” as they marched and chanted in front outside the facility.

At other informational pickets, workers demanded that for-profit owners stop making changes impacting staffing levels. “Elderwood cut off our daily overtime. When management took that away, some people quit – it was a perk and people were depending on it,” said Lois Lovett, Certified Nurse Assistant at Elderwood at Williamsville.

Members at Schoellkopf Residence were the first to reach agreement. In addition to wage increases, the employer agreed to increase their contributions towards their pensions as well as dental and optical insurance coverage.

As well as setting the new industry wage standard in WNY, members at Schoellkopf won access to the 1199SEIU Childcare Benefit Fund. This was the first facility in WNY to win the childcare benefit outside of Rochester and New York City.

In the face of threats, intimidation and coercive tactics by the boss, workers united to move forward at 17 facilities by overwhelming voting for seven-day strikes. “We are tired of delays and frequent let downs. We are a skilled team of professionals and contribute so much to the company. We play an important role in the overall health and well-being of our residents. We want a contract that reflects the value we bring every day,” said Joshua Previte, Occupational Therapist at Absolut Care of Aurora Park.

Just hours before workers at 17 facilities were scheduled to hit the strike lines, progress at the table and several tentative agreements led 1199SEIU to withdraw 10-day strike notices for 12 facilities. But the fight continued at the McGuire Group, RCA Gasport, and the Elderwoods.

As unfair labor practice strikes at the five remaining facilities grew near, some nursing homeowners refused to allow union organizing staff access to facilities. Management and owners began threatening and intimidating workers who planned to strike.

In one instance, workers at a McGuire group facility were told if they participated in the strikes, they would not be able to visit loved ones inside the facility. “I feel that they are using our loved ones as a pawn to get us to cross the strike line,” said Carey Ziehm, another 1199 CNA at North Gate Manor.

The coordinated action eventually led to settlements at 25 facilities, but the for-profit owners of Elderwood who own the two remaining homes are still refusing to come to the table to negotiate a fair agreement.

“They are multi-millionaires and don’t want to give us any money,” says Marcie Livergood, Licensed Practical Nurse at Elderwood at Lockport. Low wages contribute to high turnover rates, leaving workers caring for too many residents, risking quality care,” said Livergood. As this edition was going to press, the fight at the Elderwood facilities was continuing.